Maybe There Is Hope After All
by Allegra Selene
Summary: The daughter of William Stryker ends up in the X-men before and during the events of X-Men 2. How will she cope seeing the man who destroyed her life, the man she fears. Her father...
1. Stryker's Test Animal

Chapter 1:

The sound of metal on metal grated across the hallway floor as the meal cart made its thrice daily rounds along the many corridors of the compound, a gun in easy reach in case any occupant tended to get too rowdy or throw themselves against the orderly who delivered the meals. Silent, he showed no emotion as he slid the plates of bland food through the doors without another look at the people caged inside the living hell holes. Every time he found an occupied cell, the same tray of food would be pushed through the small grating at the bottom of the cast-iron doors. Arriving at the last cell of the block, the orderly pushed the door with his food to signify the meal had arrived. Hearing no movement or sound, he nudged the door harder and knocked sternly. As no sound issued from anywhere in the cell, the orderly unhooked the safety catch of his weapon and peered through the window into the dark and very damp cell. He could see nothing and he swore under his breath as he opened the door with his key. Opening it very carefully, he stuck his head in cautiously and then slid the door open as he entered and held the rifle at full alert.

There, in the smallest corner of the cell was a quivering ball of flesh, hair and rags. Shrinking back further into the corner, two haunted and very wary green eyes peeked out from behind matted strands of white hair that covered any suggestion of the thing even being human. The only emotions present in those lifeless orbs were fear, terror and a small spark of something the orderly could not decipher. Sighing, the man hooked the safety catch back on and lowered the weapon as she relaxed a smidgeon but not by much as she still shivered uncontrollably. A small squeak escaped the lips of the creature and then the eyes were covered by the hair as they shrank away. Intrigued, the orderly walked towards the figure as the eyes peeped out again and lowered carefully. Stopping carefully so as not to alarm the ball, the wiry man reached out a hand gently and touched the hair as the thing shrank away. Pushing a lock out of the way of the face, the man gasped as an ethereally beautiful face peeped out from behind the hair nervously. She looked to be about 16 and the gut of the man twisted, he had a daughter the same age as this terrified girl. Beauty shone out despite the grime and dried blood that encrusted her face, the tenderness of the skin surprising as the man stroked her face gently and soothingly so as not to alarm her further. She was obviously terrified of any touch, gentle or otherwise and the man could only guess why.

Turning as he heard the sound of footsteps, the orderly saw a group of heavily armed guards and the girl began to shiver again as she ducked back into the ball. Pushing the orderly out of the way, the guards burst in the door and dragged the poor captive out as she writhed and struggled madly to get away. In her eyes was pure terror and the man tried to take a step towards her but was stopped roughly, all he could do was watch as she was pulled away. Screaming, the girl writhed in the iron grasp of the men and her shrieks could be heard as the orderly watched her disappear. As the orderly turned back, he was hit in the forehead with the butt of a stun gun and fell heavily on the polished floor. Shrugging, the leader stepped away and walked out without another glance as the sound of a gunshot reverberated through the halls.

---

Professor Charles Xavier lowered the helmet carefully and slowly from his bald head as a tear fell onto his cheek. He had picked up the presence of the girl via Cerebro when she had screamed and had watched as the episode unfolded with pure sadness. Rolling his wheelchair out of the room, he locked it and wiped the tear from his face as he entered his office. Sending a telepathic message to most of the trained X-Men, he waited for them to join him in his office as he tapped the desk thoughtfully. The councillor would have her hands full with this arrival for sure...


	2. Rescue In The Lion's Den, So To Speak

Chapter 2:

Slowly, the room began to fill with the members of the different teams as they trailed in one after another. Logan appeared first, a cigar still lit in his mouth and smiled at the Professor cockily. Dousing it at a stern look from Charles, he shrugged and leaned against the wall in the classic pose that he often adopted, one that said "don't mess with me". Nobody would of course, unless they were suicidal and he cracked his knuckles easily as he flexed his admantium skeleton. Next came Scott Summers with his arm nestled against that of his fiancé, Jean. They had just gotten engaged not long ago and were still very much in love as their pose showed. Taking a seat, Scott seated Jean in his lap and smiled at his adoptive father as he played with one of Jean's red curls. Sauntering in next was the African beauty Storm, her white locks flying around her head as she smiled at the ones assembled and took the seat nearest Xavier. The others trickled in slowly: Piotr Rasputin, Jubilee with a wad of gum in her mouth, Gambit, Rogue, Bobby and last but not least, Hank McCoy. It had appeared that Xavier had gone all out on this mission and most wondered why but didn't speak it until Logan voiced his opinion in his normal rough voice.

_"So tell us, Chuck. What's this all about? Why'd yer drag us all away from what we were doin'? I smell a rat and I would bet ya there's another mutant yer want us to fetch. That it?"_

Xavier smiled and nodded as Logan spoke. _"You are right, Logan. X-Men, I have a need for you to rescue a mutant that is imprisoned in a Weapon X facility."_

A soft whistle came from Remy who had put his sunglasses to one side. Nodding, he spoke quietly in his New Orleans accent._ "Ye be joking, righ'? Ye wan' us ta go ta the rescue of a mutant whose held in de Weapon X program? Ye outta yer mind, Professor. Remy don' like dis one littl' bit."_

Xavier smiled softly. "_The facts are right in your mission briefings, Mr. Le Beau. There you will find all your facts about the mutant I wish to rescue. This girl is in great pain, we cannot just leave her there to die or be crafted into something to be manipulated by Stryker. I foresee great consequences if we do not rescue her soon, we cannot have her die in that laboratory. Now, who is willing to go on this mission?"_

Logan nodded, as did Jean, Scott and Storm. Shrugging, Jubilee spoke up. _"It sounds rad, Prof. Count me in, it's about time I get some action in here..."_ The rest slowly nodded and Gambit spoke softly. _"Dere's no way Remy le Beau gonna let dis go. Count me in, professor, de Gambit is ready 'n' willin' ta go kick some butt."_

Smiling, Xavier dismissed them all except for Hank who ruffled through a file._ "As you can see, Professor, everything is ready to go. I have prepped the suits and I believe these will come in handy."_ Showing him a sheet, Hank walked out of the room as Charles studied it carefully...


	3. Getting Her Out

Chapter 3:

The X-Men crept towards the perimeter of the wire fence as their black outfits blended in perfectly with the darkness. Wiping back a strand of white hair, Rogue looked down the group at Bobby and whispered the words "be careful" to him as she slipped through the hole first and then helped pull the others through. Wiping her gloved hands, she listened to Cyclops' orders carefully. _"Rogue, you and Bobby will be back up while Jubilee will add a distraction if you need it. You three will stay out here unless I change it. Got it?"_ The three nodded though Jubilee looked rather annoyed at being left out and let off a small grumble. Turning away from the three, Scott looked at Piotr and Gambit. _"You two will come with us and secure the perimeter, though I suggest that you change form, Pete."_ Piotr nodded and changed his skin slowly to the organic metal and then looked at the rest of them. Gambit pulled his cards and put a cigar in his mouth, winking at Rogue who blushed involuntarily and Scott shook his head in mock despair. Then, he signalled the rest to head in and nodded at Logan who unsheathed his claws and started to seethe inside as he saw the symbol of Weapon X.

Picking the lock, Storm signalled and the door burst open with a well-timed kick from Colossus as the guards looked up in shock. Before they had time to even speak, Logan's claws had shredded their bodies. Looking at his claws, he smiled and grinned at Scott who shook his head and Jean glowered at him slightly. Opening the door quietly, Scott smiled as he saw the corridors were deserted and snuck out. Ripping off a directory form the bleak white wall, he studied it and motioned to Logan. _"You go find the girl and we'll go wreak some major havoc in this building. After all, that's what we're here for, right?"_

Logan simply sniffed the air and snarled before sprinting down the hallway in search of the girl. Some minutes later, he came to the cell bank and frowned as the guard spied him. Grabbing a stun gun, the guard brandished it angrily as Logan simply stared at him before shredding the gun with his claws. Taking a step back, the guard began to squirm as Logan stormed up and grabbed him by the throat and snarled at him. _"Where do you have her?"_

The guard turned pale. _"Who?"_

Logan increased the hold on his throat._ "The girl, the one with white hair and green eyes. Where is she?"_

Gasping for breath, the guard squirmed and spoke as best he could. _"She's in the test lab, the corridor to the left."_

He gasped as he was dropped angrily on the floor and lay there unconscious as Wolverine stormed down the hallways. The place was not familiar to him, he remembered nothing but he shredded anyone he came across without mercy. Coming to the lab, he used his claws to pry open the door and killed the three guards who blocked the entrance. He could hear the girl screaming in pain and his blood boiled as he listened to her cries of terror and anguish. Yelling in outrage, he burst through the doors and attacked the team that were working on her. Slaughtering them easily, he went to the side of the girl and shuddered as he saw what they had done to her. Her body was still alive but the heart monitor was going into decline rapidly and he grimaced as he touched her arms. Most of her body was cut open and the bone exposed. The rest of the skin around her arms, torso and legs were nothing but flaps. The most unsettling thing however was the metal grafted to her bones, admantium. She lay surrounded by pieces of metal and already a dozen pieces had been grafted to her bone structure.

Picking her up gently, Logan walked out the door with her in his arms and kicked the bodies angrily. Walking back down the hallway, he found himself lost and wandered for what felt like hours. Then, he sighed in relief as the head of Remy poked out cheekily and beckoned him.

_"Ye got de cherie, non? Lets blow dis popsicle stand, no?"_ Looking down at her, he gasped as he saw her injuries._ "She be in de bad way, no doubt 'bout that. We best hurry, Remy get her safe 'n' sound."_

Striding down the corridor, he soon dragged Logan back to the group and they exited the building. Stopping, Logan turned to view the compound and his grip tightened around the unconscious girl. Motioning Storm over, he whispered in her ear and walked back into the cockpit of the plane as she began to rise and lightning crackled in the air. Sending a large bolt directly into the building, she smiled as the building blew up minutes later. Shrugging, she walked back into the plane and it took off with all aboard. Laying the girl gently down on a mattress, Logan hunkered down and stroked her skin softly. Sighing, he rested his head against his chest and slept next to her as the Blackbird soared towards Westchester and the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters...


	4. Med Lab Revelations

Chapter 4:

The girl lay in the medical bed as life support systems flickered and a regenerative field glowed green over her prone body. The staff had managed to pry the metal off her bones and had kept it for observation purposes but she was stitched up properly and her body was a mass of stiches and bruises as her white skin was bathed in a pale green light and her body became stronger internally. But her mind, that was something nobody could fix or even start to explore. She had been stabilised to avoid shock but she hadn't opened her eyes or come out of the coma since she had been rescued three weeks ago. Xavier had come in every day and Wolverine had only been coerced to leave her bedside for food, water and a cigar briefly. Most of his time had been spent staring at her naked body and stroking her arms and brow gently to try and wake her. He suspected he wasn't doing a good job of waking her at all and he was worried. For some strange reason, he felt drawn to the girl and her injuries worried him.

As his gaze travelled down her body for the millionth time that day, the lights on the console began to flicker as her heartbeat got stronger and she began to stir as one hand moved slightly and began to squeeze itself hard. Grabbing it, Logan covered her hand in his own rougher one and squeezed. Then, her eyes opened slowly and stared at him with terror. Shivering, she began to shake and tried to move away from him as the shivering got worse. Tearing her hand away from his grasp, she moved it behind her and tried to rise. The effort was too much however and she collapsed back onto the bed. Curling up in a small ball, her green eyes darted around quickly as she took it all in. Then, she hid her head and whimpered softly as Logan stared in shock at her. The eyes had been filled with terror the moment she looked at him and that worried him.

Finally, he spoke in a very gentle voice to coax her out._ "Look, I'm not gonna hurt ya. You can come out of your ball; I won't hurt you like those others did."_

She shook her head and stared at him with haunted eyes and he was about to say something when he heard the quiet squeak of Xavier's wheelchair in the room. Rolling over to sit by the bed, the Professor smiled at her and she shrank away hurriedly. Taking his left hand, Xavier touched her head carefully and she flinched as it connected with her hair. Looking up at him, she whimpered in fear and the Professor frowned inwardly. Why was this girl so terrified of being touched? Stroking gently, the Professor closed his eyes and entered her mind as she relaxed slightly and Logan looked on. Charles walked through her mind and saw everything that had happened to her and struggled to stop from gasping as he watched the experiments, the torture. The girl had gone through so much in her life and he pulled away from her psyche as he exited and opened his eyes.

---

Sighing, Xavier smiled gently at the girl and patted her head. Blinking slightly, the girl began to relax as she slipped back into sleep and Charles motioned Logan out as her body lapsed back into its unconscious state and she slowly uncurled. Closing the door, he dimmed the lights and turned to face the bristly and quite confused mutant. Logan sighed and rubbed his head briskly as he stared at the Professor quizzically.

_"The girl needs her rest. She has been through a lot in her life, too much for any soul to bear and she is traumatised greatly. She fears for her life, Logan and she is terrified of any human contact and in fact, any human."_

Logan frowned and rubbed his chin. _"Why's that, Chuck? What did those monsters do to her?"_

Xavier shook his head. _"Give me time, Logan. Her mind is too unstable for me to search anymore. "_

Logan frowned and nodded as Xavier turned away. Frowning, the man sighed and then headed off towards his office to research a few things.


	5. How Could He?

Chapter 5:

Jean sat in Xavier's office as the wheel-chair bound man entered and jumped slightly before settling himself behind the mahogany desk. Studying the woman carefully, Xavier noticed the sudden maturity of his favourite and first student. She had grown more beautiful every day and he suddenly realised how ignorant he had been as she grew up. She was a truly beautiful and accomplished woman and Jean was always humble, never egotistical or vain. She was seemingly perfect but behind the warm visage were cunning and deadly gifts of telekinesis and telepathy that she hid well and used sparingly. She had been his first pupil, almost like the poor girl in the Medical lab when she had first been brought here. Timid and shy, she soon began to become popular after the blocks were put in place and he wasn't surprised when she became a model at such a young age. Truly, a beautiful woman both inside and out. Nodding, he tore his gaze away and looked out the window for a few seconds before looking back at her cautiously.

_"What do we know about her, Jean?"_ The girl he referred to was of course the girl in the medical bay.

The red-head sighed and motioned to the manila file in her arms. _"Professor, there was very little information on any girl matching her description anywhere that I could find. I finally hacked into the Weapon X database with kitty's help and searched around. Even in that place, there was little information apart from a photograph, codename and her serial number. There was little I could go on, even in the best protected areas. I did find that she was codenamed the Black Orchid by Stryker though. I also found something, else..."_

She stopped as a child peeked in and began to ask Xavier a few questions. Leaning back, Jean studied the young girl and smiled warmly as she headed out but her smile soon disappeared. Speaking softly, she looked around furtively. _"Professor, I found a very disturbing piece of information about her. She has been a captive her entire life, or as long as her memory has functioned properly. I would say since the age of 2 which means that she has been a captive for 19 years in that compound. It also told me her birth name, though that was buried under a lot of viruses and safeguards. Apparently, this is Stryker's best kept secret. Her birth name is Sienna Natalyaa Tatiana Stryker..."_

_---_

Blanching, Xavier's hand began to shake on the top of the solid wood desk as he tried to comprehend what Jean had told him. He looked at her shrewdly and rather hard and then looked away out the window. Inside, his brain was churning as things began to fit together slowly. Jason had told him once that his father never wanted have another child; he would kill the child because he feared the baby would turn out to be just like Jason. Another mutant. Now, Stryker had done something worse than just killing the girl.

Seeing his distant look, Jean's voice began to reverberate in his head as she spoke softly via a telepathic mind link. _" Professor, does she know any of this? Does she remember her life before her imprisonment?"_

Charles shook his head. "_She remembers nothing except for that cold cell and she knows nothing about her family either. The only constant thing she remembers is the face of William and his voice. She is traumatised, Jean. Completely unable to communicate or connect with others. Terrified, she is haunted by his voice and his face. I think we should tell none but the teaching faculty about this, none of the students need to know."_

Then, a tear fell down his cheek. "_How could William do this to his own child, his blood daughter? How could he condemn a poor, innocent baby to a life of terror and manipulation? She could have been brought here, to learn and cope with her genetic gift. Why lock her away and make such sadistic acts on his own daughter who carries half his dna? How could he?"_

Jean walked over and smiled comfortably at her mentor. "_Don't worry, Professor," _she spoke out loud as she kissed his bald head._ "We will look after her; we will make sure it is only a memory to her."_

Xavier nodded. _"But will it be something she will fear?"_

Jena had no answer to that question and suspected the Professor needed none so she slipped out silently as Xavier stared out the window and sighed as the roses bloomed outside the sill and sent their perfume into his office...


	6. Readjusting

Chapter 6:

Months passed from that talk between Ms Grey and the Professor and not much had changed in that time. Sienna had been taken in and adopted by the Faculty after she had been discharged from the medical bay. Given the chance to be a student, she had started attending classes under the guidance of Jean and Storm. Daily counselling times had been organised with the Professor under the guise of informal meetings and chats about life. This uninterrupted time also gave her time to receive advanced classes for half of her school day and intensive training of her ability. The teachers had quickly found that Sienna owned an amazing mind that was inquisitive, very advanced and self-controlled so she did not need remedial work. To the amazed Jean, it seemed that Sienna only needed to read or hear something once to know everything she needed to about it, indicating a very advanced and complex savant mind.

However, Sienna's schooling was not the area that worried the Faculty and the older students, it was Sienna herself. They had found out after the third day that she was more withdrawn than ever. The poor girl had no idea how to react or communicate with others and she had not spoken a word at all. No amount of coaxing seemed to work and even the Professor was stumped for once. There was nothing physically wrong with her, purely psychological but she refused to speak. The only sounds she ever made were screams late at night, it was as if she was still in that cell in the compound and nobody could bring her out of that state. Because of an accident in an experiment when she was seven, Sienna was physically unable to sleep so the screams were the product of waking nightmares. The staff often found her hiding in a corner of her private room shaking with fear, as if she was haunted by someone, or something...

Telepaths had no problem communicating with the terrified and traumatised girl but for the other students and especially the younger children, it was an uphill battle. The only ones whom she would allow to touch her were Jean, Storm, Xavier, Piotr, a few other students but most surprisingly, Wolverine and Gambit. She seemed to be impervious to Logan's surly temperament and Gambit she seemed to understand as if by instinct. The one who scared her most was Scott. Scott was surprising as he had been nothing but courteous to her but she always shivered as he came past and would hide behind another person. The children liked her and she didn't mind their presence but whenever any of them tried to touch her except for Piotr's sister Illyana, she would move away or run out of the room. For an exceptionally scared and traumatised girl, however, the training sessions were a shock to all who watched and/or participated. In the Danger Room, she changed completely and became very deadly and serious. Xavier could see a lot of her father in the version of Sienna that peeked through in there. Logan had been warned, however, and always made sure nothing went awry. To the casual onlooker, Sienna Stryker was a ball of contradictions...


	7. Sleeping Awake

Chapter 7:

The rain poured down outside the Xavier Institute late one night, the drops echoing on the roof of the building. All were sound asleep in their various beds as the clock struck three in the morning. However, one occupant of this mansion was wide-awake and not in her room and that was Sienna. She was sitting on the window seat of a small room with her knees hugged against her body as she stared out silently. Dressed in black, the figure was almost invisible in the darkened room except for the moonlight that illuminated the room. A tear was evident on her cheek and she shrugged it away carefully as she watched the moon travel across the sky. She stayed in that posture for a long time, acknowledging no movement or noise that came from the other areas of the Mansion.

The girl was not the only occupant of the house that was wide awake by then, however. Above her on the second floor, the form of the Wolverine tossed and turned sleeplessly as a nightmare gripped his mind. Waking suddenly, he gasped for air and then got out and fastened a pair of trousers around his waist. Padding down the stairs, he grabbed a soda from the fridge and grumbled softly about there being no beer in the school. Ripping off the top, he drank about half and then took the bottle with him as he walked towards the stairs. About halfway up, he turned and saw a small flash of emerald green. Sighing, he walked towards the source and stopped in the doorway as his eyes recognised the form of Sienna perched near the sill.

---

Minutes later, Sienna turned and started as she made out the form of Logan. Standing, she watched his eyes as she smiled shyly at him and twirled a piece of hair in her fingers. The movement Logan noticed and he reached out a hand to pry it away. Stopping, she looked at him wide-eyed as his fingers swept gently across her hand and moved the lock out of the fingers. Taking it, he stroked it gently and then let it hang as she nodded but without saying a word. Her green eyes seemed to search his soul and he shifted uncomfortably and then spoke.

"_I doubt you can answer this but have you ever had the nightmares of Weapon X? I couldn't sleep so I came down and found you. Why do you sit here night after night without a sound?"_

Sienna nodded and then shrugged as if to suggest she didn't know why. Motioning him over, she pointed to the stars and then signed something fast. Logan gave her a quizzical look and she patted the window seat carefully and then hunched up her legs again. Seating himself next to her, he looked out into space and spoke quietly. _"It's hard for us, isn't it? To have no past we remember or to be trapped with the memories of a human corrupting our souls and marring our bodies. The others don't understand, they all have the memory of their past life but not us. You never knew anything other than the cell and I can't trust what I remember."_

Laying a hand on his arm, she touched it gently and Logan looked at her. Moving a finger along the lines on his hand, Sienna traced the details carefully and then sighed and leaned up against his broad chest. Stroking her hair, Logan wrapped his arms around her slim form and closed his eyes as he breathed in her bodily perfume of cinnamon and baby powder. Even though she never spoke, she was somewhat calming to the bristly Logan. Resting back against the sill, he fell asleep as the green eyes of Sienna glanced out into the darkness and rain. The next morning, she slipped away and sat in the garden. Settling herself against a ceramic statue, Sienna watched the sunlight stream down and smiled.

Life here was peaceful...


	8. Years Go By

Chapter 8:

About three years later, Sienna sat perched on the edge of a small Japanese pond with her legs dangling over the edge as she swirled her fingers in the pure water. Any onlooker could think she was a statue cunningly designed to be lifelike but that was far from right. The only thing that betrayed her being alive was the motion of her fingers in the water and the darting of her green eyes from one place to another like a haunted animal. Straightening up, she aimlessly kicked one leg after another in a rhythmic motion and wiped her fingers on her clothes carefully. Sienna had a real flair for design and the scarlet red off-shoulder top with tight Capri jeans highlighted her white locks gracefully and added to the reflection of the blue water. Looking around carefully, Sienna focused on a spot and then looked away as her eyes scanned each area of the garden. A rustle made her start and she looked around quickly before dropping her gaze onto her legs.

Over the years, the daughter of William Stryker had filled out gracefully and become a stunning beauty. The look she had adopted was far from the bedraggled and tortured girl rescued from a lifetime of manipulation; she had become more confident but still was virtually mute. The students had finally accepted that she was different in that area and most seemed to understand her gestures and ocular expressions. Any time a newcomer came, however, Sienna would hide behind another student or watch from the shadows. This included new students but she soon tolerated them, the student body loved her no matter what. Every student and every member of the faculty treated Sienna like their little sister, protecting her as best they could from taunts, strange looks, reminders of her past and insensitive comments by new students. Any person she accepted became a person dearer to her than life. She had often written that she would lay down her life for them and she meant it. The staff had finally succeeded in drawing her out of her shell and had found that she had a warm heart, an over-generous attitude and an irrepressible laugh that sounded out more often every day.

Sighing, Sienna was alarmed when a push came and she fell head-first into the pond. Bursting out from under the surface of the water, Sienna started up at the visage of Remy Lebeau with his red eyes laughing as he spoke with his usual New Orleans accent. _"De cherie distracted, non? Gambit know dis ta be fact' and dat somethin' Gambit like. De cherie scared, non?"_

Slapping his hand away, Sienna rose from the water and shook her clothes, making the spray go all over Remy. Giggling, she slapped a hand over her lips and smirked at him as droplets of water came off the Cajun. Then, she threw water at him and ran off with Remy chasing after her, yelling out threats. Above, Xavier watched from one of the windows and smiled as he saw the two chase each other along the edge of the grass lawns. Turning away, Xavier made plans for his outing to visit Magneto with Scott...


	9. Attack!

Chapter 9:

Sienna was sitting on the window seat again, her body rearranged in the usual manner with her knees hugged against her body. Her scarlet top and pants were drying nearby near the heat pump and she was wearing a top with lace strings along the sides and long black trousers with flared legs. Her boots were sharpened at the heel and she sighed as she piled her hair on top of her head absently and clipped it in place. Something was amiss with the stillness of the night outside. She'd felt on edge for a week but with only Logan here, the house felt rather empty. Jean and Storm had left to retrieve a missing mutant who had threatened the life of the President, Cyclops and Xavier were with Magneto and that left Logan here alone. Not that he was unfit; just it gave her the shivers. Frowning, Sienna heard the pad of feet and stuck her head out of the door, sighing when she saw Logan head into the kitchen. Grabbing her heart, she relaxed and went to lie on the floor with a copy of Dracula she had borrowed from the Professor. Deeply immersed, she looked up about an hour later and dropped the book on the couch as she picked up the sound of something foreign. It was the sound of aircraft, several but the Blackbird was not among them, she could tell by the sound of the rotors. Frowning, she crept to the window and blanched as she picked up the designs of the US Army. What was the Army doing here unless...

With that thought, she covered her lips with her mouth quickly to block out the loud gasp she had emitted. Running out of the room; she ran up the stairs and began to scream with words for the first time since before she had come to the Institute. Racing into each door that she pushed open, she roused the occupants and explained what had happened. Then, she was out and running to the next one. As she stopped for breath with the hand of a young girl in her grasp, she looked out and saw the soldiers in the moonlight. Drawing back, she watched as they crashed the front door open. Sienna grabbed three of the kids nearest to her and pushed them down the laundry chute with clear instructions to hide in the woods as they fell down the slide. Then, she stopped dead and listened to the tramp of the soldiers up the stairs and the shooting of tranquiliser guns into bodies.

---

Pressing her body up against the wall, she peeked around the corner and started as three of the unknown intruders started to enter the rooms. Then, one of the soldiers beckoned to his partner and they walked towards her as she shrank back into the corner of a room. Grinning, they entered and trapped her in the corner as her eyes darted from one face to another in terror. Then, as one moved towards her quicker than the others, the pixy-like face lost its terror and became full of rage. Reaching into his weak mind, Sienna took a strand of thought and began to twist it as he squirmed. Then, she broke the thread and he fell, gasping to his knees as the other two looked on in dread. As she pressed further into his mind, she activated her secondary power and began to weave an illusion in his brain. Expertly, she changed it so that the man rose and began to attack his compatriots without the gun. Shooting him dead, the two men turned on her and were about to shoot her but suddenly collapsed on the floor. Behind the bodies stood Mayaa, a girl Sienna had met previously with electricity crackling from her fingertips. Thanking her profusely, the two girls ran down the stairs and Sienna pushed Mayaa through the secret entrance into the woods.

Sienna was about to enter the passage as well when she stopped dead in her tracks and stared in terror. There in the hallway was William Stryker facing off against Wolverine. Suddenly, Sienna began to shake with terror as she stood there transfixed to the spot. That was her father there, she knew everything about their relationship and that she had a brother who had once come here. It was him! The one man who had used her, abused her and ruined her life. Shaking, she suddenly had the urge to run away and hide. As Wolverine was dragged away from Stryker by Iceman, Sienna could feel the adrenaline bursting through her body and she hid in the shadows as Stryker headed towards Cerebro. _"So that is what this is all about,"_ Sienna whispered to herself as the truth dawned on her suddenly. All a diversion for her father to get his own way and hurt others, who knows how many students had been killed or wounded in the invasion and for what purpose? To destroy the Institute, or was there something else afoot?

---

As Stryker looked over his shoulder as he headed towards the door, Sienna stepped out into the hallway and regarded her father with great anger and contempt. Starting back, Stryker stared at her in kind and then snarled _"What are you doing here, mutie?"_

Stepping back, she regarded his face and searched for some form of recognition in his cool gaze. Finding none, she spoke coolly and tossed her hair over her shoulder. _"I could ask you the same thing, Stryker. Why are you taking Cerebro and killing my friends, my classmates?"_

Stryker placed the suitcase down. _"Because they need to be taught a lesson."_

"_Like you tried to teach me, father?"_ That made the soldiers look at her in shock and she nodded. _"Tell me the truth, father, did you love me at all? When you tortured me, drugged me and whipped me, didn't a small or even tiny thread of remorse come through as you looked at me helpless? Did you, at any point love me, care for me?"_

Stryker shrugged._ "How could I love a mutant? How could I love a demon, an evil creature like you? You deserve to die for what you did."_

Sienna looked at him with pity. _"What did I do that was so wrong? I was only two when you incarcerated me? How could I have done anything when you kept me locked up for my life?"_

_"You helped kill my wife,"_ Stryker snarled. _"You killed her, you and Jason by being mutants. I had to lock you, a mutant that has tormented me ever since with your presence."_

_"That was not my fault, father..."_ With that, Stryker held up a hand and stopped her. _"I am not your father, my daughter died many years ago. Sienna Tatiana Natalyaa Stryker is dead; I do not know you..." _

Gesturing to the soldiers, he watched as they attacked her. She could only defend with her body, not with her powers or she would show her father exactly what she was. Tears glistened in her eyes and blurred her focus but she kept fighting until she was shot by tranquiliser darts and collapsed onto the ground. Stryker just walked out as the guards dragged her up and out of the place into the aircrafts and took off. Gazing down at the unconscious mutant before him, Stryker moved his hand falteringly along her cheek. Despite what he had told her, the pale woman before him was his blood. Stroking her gently, he moved a blanket over her shoulders and flinched as she nuzzled up to it. Then, he walked into the cabin as the mask fell back into place...


	10. Waking Up

Chapter 10:

Sienna woke with a start and found herself back in the cell of her nightmares, the place of her past. Sitting up groggily, she crossed her legs under her body and tried to calm her breathing like the Professor had taught her to do in times of immense stress or waking nightmares. Closing her eyes slowly, she tried to block out all the noise around her and concentrate on the silence. Then, she tried to banish any image of her past from her mind, any glimmer of her cell as it was the place she feared the most. Letting her mind wander away, she floated out of her body onto the peaceful astral plane towards the focus of her meditation, the Xavier Institute. Imagining the gates open before her, she entered through the window in her room and then towards the study of the Professor on the top floor. Pushing the door open, she looked around and sat on the chair in front of his desk. The sunlight streamed in and she sighed before leaning back against the chair and speaking quietly to the empty air.

**::Professor, where are you? I really need your help at the moment. You must do something to save the children and me from Stryker, he's behind the whole thing. Where are you? Can you hear me?::**

Then, her consciousness sensed a noise and she darted out of the school, through the astral plane and back into her body with a small gasp. Opening her eyes, she uncrossed and stood warily as the door opened and in stepped a freshly shaven Stryker with a swagger in his steps. He had no fear, she could tell but he was rather surprised she didn't crawl back into the corner like she used to do. Facing him, she eyed the refreshed man up and down and then spoke quietly.

"_Why are you holding me here, Stryker?"_

The man sniggered and let his eyes bore into her face as she steeled herself. _"Isn't it obvious, my dear? You are a bargaining chip to me, nothing else. Xavier would never leave you here all alone to face your past, oh no. Pity, he's rather tied up with your brother right now."_

Sienna blanched but did not waver or start to shake. Three years ago she would have, but she was different. She'd learnt that there was nothing to be afraid of, that she didn't have to fear him any more. This was a new and improved Sienna, the old one had died three years ago and was no more. _"You are evil to use a student against his teacher, to play one of us against each other. To force people to face their loved ones in battle is evil at its worst. Xavier will never fall to your twisted schemes to destroy the race I am part of. You will not win, father..."_

Walking over, he slapped her hard and knocked her down onto the floor of the cell. Rising slowly and carefully, Sienna held her cheek in one hand as the blood seeped through the fingers in drops.

"_That was evil, Stryker. Striking a defenceless girl when she is unable to defend herself is not what a civilised man would do."_

Stryker ignored her barb and instead grabbed her by the scruff of her neck. Freezing, she felt the cold, clammy touch of his greasy fingers on her skin and shuddered as the vice-like appendages gripped her tightly. Squirming, she felt them increase their strength and stopped as she waited for the torture to start. Stryker brandished a long, plastic syringe and placed it n the centre of her neck. Dripping a small dose of liquid onto the skin, he smiled as Sienna screamed at the burning pain of the substance. Stepping back cautiously, Stryker smiled as her eyes began to dilate into a pale white colour not dissimilar to the colour of Storm's eyes when she used her powers. However, he started in shock as the change stopped and the eyes slowly changed back into their normal green colour. Blinking, she smiled as he stared in shock at the seemingly unaffected mutant.

---

Taunting him, she spoke in a sarcastic tone. _"You do know that I cannot be controlled by Jason's poison, right? Oh yes, you know nothing of me. My brother may have been docile and willing to co-operate but I certainly am not. I secret my own drug anyway and I am immune to that as well. You have failed, Stryker and I will have vengeance if it is the last thing I do..."_

Stryker ground his teeth in anger and tried to increase the dosage but Sienna smiled a wicked smile and grabbed his fingers. Using a trick Remy had taught her in class, Sienna increased the pressure on his fingers and then twisted the arm forcibly so that he screamed in pain and dropped the syringe. Stepping on it, she broke it and the liquid spurted onto the floor. Lunging at her, he broke away and started to yell for the guards when he turned as Sienna uttered a low snarl. Moving a hand slowly, she entered his mind and began to encounter his attempts to resist. The mind of William Stryker was formidable and she worked through it slowly, whittling away the defences until his mind retreated behind steadfast mental shields. Perceiving the shields, Sienna called her power to herself and sent out probes through the small gaps the shields had left unguarded. As they snaked through, she smiled and then the shields weakened and then exploded.

After the shields were blown away, Sienna smiled in victory and began to twist the tendrils of his memory, searching his databanks for anything regarding her and the mansion. She found much that she transferred to her own mind and then she began to alter, to twist and added subtle memory blocks that the weakened mind could not pass. As the resistance started up again, Sienna activated her secondary power and began to weave a cunning illusion. Trapped in the changing scene, the psyche of William Stryker was soon immobilised and unable to resist. Dropping to his knees in defeat, the man stared up at her in submission and she crowed inwardly. She had finally won, had revenged herself and her brother and revenge was indeed sweet to her. Taking the memories she had wiped from his mind, she frowned as she moved slowly through the twisted tendrils of her father's mind.

Smirking, she sensed that now was the time to escape or she would never get a chance. Already, she could feel the hostile mind swelling up again but she subdued it temporarily. Grabbing the man, she used him as a shield against the guards who had taken up position in front of her with guns loaded. Eying the limp Stryker, she forced him to speak by twisting the cerebral lobe that made speaking possible.

_"Let her go, let her take what she needs and then go. We are not going to chase her or hassle her, is that understood?"_

The guards nodded and then Stryker collapsed as Sienna activated unconsciousness in his mind. The men were too busy trying to revive Stryker to notice her so she walked out of the area, free at last...


	11. Computer Hackers Strike Again

Chapter 11:

As Sienna waltzed out of the cell bank she had been held in for most of her life, she spied the glow of a computer in Stryker's private office. Looking around cautiously, she slipped up to the door and picked the lock. Slipping in, she closed the door and sat at the computer cautiously after hacking in like Kitty had shown her one afternoon. Scanning through the contents, she came to the drive directory and frowned as she found two drives completely full. Opening them side by side on the monitor, she read the text and frowned. Entering one, she darted her eyes from the door to the office window cautiously for any movement. Then, she began to scroll down as the wheels began to turn in her mind. Before her were the names and details of every mutant in the world, all of Cerebro on the screen. Selecting one, Sienna gasped as she scrolled down the page. Wolverine... This file had every detail about Wolverine, all the missing past he had been looking for all those years. Opening others haphazardly, she found the same things on every file.

Opening the other drive, Sienna scrolled through information about Cerebro and her rage began to kindle as she saw a file with her name on it. Clicking on the icon, her eyes began to glow with anger as she saw a series of footage with her in it. Every moment from her past had been recorded here and she saw that the area was accessed almost daily. Taking the folder and its contents, Sienna was about to wipe it when she had an idea. Rummaging through the desk, she found a set of drives that had been opened. Inserting the first one in, she began to copy the contents of every drive of Stryker's computer onto the external drives. As the signal came that it was done, she smiled and then printed the data out on hard copy just in case. Looking at the computer, she checked the last drive she had copied and frowned. It was tracking her friends and they were heading towards Alkali Lake. Looking around, she saw a small portable GPRS machine and entered the co-ordinates. As the machine came to life, she saw small red dots flashing at certain positions as it tracked the group.

---

Smiling in complete triumph, Sienna grabbed the last few pages of printouts and bundled everything into a small package. Looking at the screen, Sienna then wiped the entire computer and set a few choice viruses, worms and hostile scripts onto the hard drives. In one last act of defiance, she smashed the screen and the hard-drive, preventing it from ever being used again. Then, she walked out of the room and down the hallways to the undercover garage. Breaking the window of a car with her fist, she winced as pain streaked across her fist along with some blood and then unlocked the car door. Hotwiring it, she sped out of the gate and looked back as she drove away. Sticking her tongue out cheekily, she thumbed her nose at the place as the sports car sped down the road and into the freedom of life on the outside of those barbed wire fences.

Shrugging a nagging voice in her head away, Sienna checked her GPRS signal and pushed the car to its full potential as she headed down the highway towards her team mates. Inside, her heart was singing with happiness as her hair flew in the wind and she smiled to herself.

Her past was finally buried...


	12. The Incredible Nightcrawler

Chapter 12:

Alighting from her vehicle late the next night, Sienna closed the door quietly and looked around at the unknown forest terrain. Looking through the brush, she saw the faint glow of a campfire and sighed. Then, she snuck through the bushes to get closer for security's sake. Stopping behind a tree, she peeked out and saw the X-Men and two Brotherhood members circled around a fire near the Blackbird. She couldn't hear what they were saying so she got closer but brushed against a fern too loudly and Logan's ears perked up quickly. Swivelling around, he unleashed his claws and pointed them in her direction.

_"Show yourself,"_ he snarled in a low voice and Sienna held up her hands carefully before stepping out into the light. Looking from one to another, she relaxed as Logan's claws popped back into his knuckles and Jean sighed in relief. Hugging her, the redhead stroked a lock away and smiled at the girl as Storm followed up with a hug as well. Eying the crowd, Sienna's gaze darted from one to another and then the green orbs settled on the blue-skinned male mutant. Raising an eyebrow delicately, she looked at him with interest as her gaze sparkled cheekily.

Squirming, the blue-skinned mutant spoke in heavily accented English. "_Good evening, what is your name?"_

Sienna lowered the eyebrow and smiled widely at the mutant before speaking. _"I am Sienna. Who are you?"_

Smiling widely now, the mutant twitched his forked tail quickly. _"I am Kurt Wagner but in the Munich Circus, they called me the Incredible Nightcrawler."_ Then Kurt frowned and looked at Sienna quizzically. _"Are you not going to scream about my form, my lack of human attributes, Fraulein Sienna? I am not the most usual person you would see..."_

She smiled mysteriously and shook her head_. "Nein, Herr Wagner. You do not scare me or make me uncomfortable, I have met much worse monsters who were human. You have nothing to fear from me, Kurt."_

Then out of the corner of her eye, Sienna saw the others and turned away. Examining their stunned looks, she smiled and gave them all a quizzical look as she raised her eyebrows at them. _"And what are you all staring at me for? It's as if you'd seen a ghost or were fast becoming one. What is with you all?"_

Jean finally got her mouth working but began to stutter in shock, Magneto and Mystique had remained strangely still during this time. _"You... you spoke to us. You haven't said a word since we rescued you..."_

Sienna only laughed softly. _"I just felt this was the time to start talking, that's all. Stryker has gone to Alkali Lake and I suspect that will be where we can find the Professor and the others. They are being held against their will by the substance I secret at time. He has taken the liquid from my brother who has one of the powers I possess."_

Logan only snarled. _"Where'd you get this information, 'Enna?"_

Sienna froze and spoke softly. _"From Stryker's main computer at Weapon X. Stryker took me from the Mansion when he attacked and tried to subdue me again. I used my gift and made him faint unconscious. Then, I hacked into his mainframe and got the information before completely destroying the system."_

"_Stryker..."_ growled Logan in disgust as he sniffed the air. Jean put a hand on his arm to steady him and Mystique glanced quickly at Magneto. Sienna then turned to the others and gave them a glare. _"And what are the infamous Magneto and Mystique doing with my friends? Why are you here?"_

Magneto smiled at the girl in a fatherly way. _"Why, my dear, I am simply here to rescue an old friend. Don't you trust me?"_

Sienna's eyes glittered in challenge. _"In one word, no..."_

"_Pity..."_ Magneto replied as he studied her very carefully. His eyes began to roman her body in a way she didn't trust one little bit. Magneto and Mystique, both wanted terrorists and pains to boot. Glancing at his friend, the master of Magnetism turned away and began to fiddle with his helmet. Looking down, Sienna groaned as she viewed her ripped and blood-covered clothes. Walking into the Blackbird, she changed quickly and gave Pyro a fierce glare when he peeked in and saw her in her bra. Fifteen minutes later, she sauntered out and sat on the steps in her fresh clothes. A black singlet top covered her upper half and she had placed body armour underneath the top to cover her torso. Tight, form fitting trousers hugged her thighs and her favourite pair of weathered black boots completed the ensemble.

---

Reaching out with her mind, Sienna tried to find Xavier but instead encountered a wall of mental static and fuzziness. Trying to breach it, she met with fierce resistance and was pushed away as she gave a snort of disgust. Looking up, she saw Jean enter Logan's tent and frowned as she saw what looked like Jean dozing by the fire. _"Blasted Mystique..."_ she muttered under her breath and swore faintly. Then, she got up and went to where Nightcrawler was. He had been hanging by his tail off a branch and was perched on the branch itself.

Stopping near his motionless body, Sienna perched carefully on the tree near him and spoke quietly in German."_Do you ever get lonely, Kurt? "_

Kurt nodded slowly and uncurled his tail. "_Ja, I do get lonely sometimes but I have God to look after me. He keeps me alive, keeps me sane and centred only on his will. It fills my life with peace but yes, sometimes I feel very lonely in America."_

Sienna smiled slightly and winked at Kurt, who blushed. _"What is your mutation, Kurt? What is your power?"_

Kurt laughed and only held up a finger. Then, he disappeared in thin air and a smell of rotten eggs washed over her. Wrinkling her nose in distaste, Sienna stared at where Kurt had been and then smiled as he reappeared seconds later. Bowing, he smiled through pointed fangs. At a failure to speak it in German, he spoke in English instead. _"Basically, I can teleport and reappear seconds later in a different place. I used it in the circus and nobody minded at all, it was part of my act and nobody minded my skin. To them, I was a man in a suit..."_

Sienna clapped happily as he teleported again and reappeared at her side and then eased himself back onto the original branch. But when Kurt asked her to explain her gift to him, she frowned. Closing her eyes, she reached out a hand and touched his skin quickly. Then, she began to expand the darkness that always bubbled in her body as a catalyst for her power. That darkness was what she drew on to manipulate at times. Reaching out with the small area, she began to expand a tendril while keeping the others in control. Then, she moved the tendril slowly into his unguarded mind and probed slightly to let him know she was there. Drawing on a memory, she began to weave the idea into an illusion and expanded it until Kurt was standing in what he thought was his caravan back in Germany. As he let out a cry of astonishment, Sienna drew back and it vanished. Exiting his mind, she stared at him as he blinked and explained it to him.

"_Kurt, my friend, my power is that I can manipulate minds. Read them, change them, probe them and even put in thoughts or memories. I can also create illusions, which are nearly flawless. What you saw, it was an illusion and nothing else. It was not real, but you thought it was, which is a part of what my illusions do. Please try to understand, I d onto like to use my power on others, but sometimes I must. That is what I do, just like when you teleport. "_

Then, she hung her head. Kurt picked up on that posture and raised the chin with a finger. _"Listen, liebchen, there is nothing wrong. You just gave me a shock, that's all. Vhat you do is gutt but you must be careful, ya?"_

Sienna nodded and smiled at him before giving him a hug. Leaning back, she snuggled up to him and closed her eyes until Kurt fell asleep. Then, she opened her eyes slowly and watched the sky shimmer slightly. Whispering, she fingered his prayer beads and then laid her head back as she began to sing a sweet lullaby that echoed through the camp and washed over each individual as they slept on...


	13. Alkali Lake

Chapter 13:

The group, swelled by one now, made its way to the deserted Alkali Lake complex and stared at the ice-covered place. Blinking, Sienna stared around and concentrated on the mental link to her father. A horrible side-effect of her power was that Sienna had an impenetrable mind-link to any person or mutant she manipulated. That meant she could feel and think what her father was thinking or feeling at any given time and it gave her the shivers. Popping her eyes open, she sighed in anger. _"Stryker is here, in this place..."_

Snarling, Wolverine told her to stay outside and then the groups moved in. Gritting her teeth, Sienna turned to Rogue, Bobby and Pyro as they sat there in the helicopter watching the rest disappear. _"Well, there goes that option down the tubes."_ Sitting down in a huff, she soon started as the sound of an explosion rent the air. Clenching her fingers, Sienna turned to the others. _"I can't stand being here and doing nothing. They need our help!"_ Running off through the snow, she ignored the yelling from the three to come back and lit across the snow. Running flat out, she began to huff a bit as she slipped once on the ice but kept going. Searching for the entrance, she pushed her way in and slithered up a pipe until she got to a ledge. Hopping up, she walked precariously along the narrow ledge until she came to a dead end. Hanging over the edge, she saw Cyclops and Jean together and sighed in relief. It was then that she realised Jean had been hurt and so she somersaulted off the ledge and landed next to the startled red-head.

_"Hiya, Jean. Need any help?"_ she asked cheekily and Jean shook her head. _"I'll be fine"_ she gasped out as she held her rib area. _"Go check on the others, I lost track of them..."_

Nodding, Sienna walked off briskly and manipulated a few of the guards in the way. Running down a corridor, she came to a laboratory that looked eerily familiar and she saw Stryker gloating while Wolverine fought with a lady who had cybernetic claws. _"Just like him..."_ she murmured as she pressed a hand up against the glass. Then, she drew a gun she had brought a few days ago and fired at Stryker, breaking the glass and making him run. Pocketing it, she smiled and then set off down another corridor away from her hated father. She certainly didn't need him coming after her and she relished the thought that he would get lost in the maze of corridors and never come back.

---

Stopping dead a few minutes later, Sienna held her head in her hands and fell onto her knees in agony. The pain was excruciating, it was ringing in her ears and in her head and she cradled herself against the wall as she begged it to stop. Collapsing fully, she stretched prone on the ground with her hands pushing against whatever it was. Then, she blinked as it went as fast as it had come. Sitting up, she frowned and searched her mind. It had been a ripping pain, like the one time she had accidentally turned her manipulation on herself. Shaking her head groggily, Sienna stood and began to run. Something was telling her there was little time left to finish this mission. Darting along the corridors, she saw a small group of children and smiled but kept going.

Then, she froze as she saw Magneto standing there in front of a doorway. Then, he walked away and closed the door. Sienna knew and she was stunned, Magneto had tricked them all. He was still evil at heart and now she could sense the presence of her older brother, it ran thick through the air. The voice of Stryker echoed through her mind as she recalled their last conversation and she gasped and ran towards the door. Pressing against it, she began to scream out loudly _"Professor, Professor. It's an illusion, get out of there now. It's Jason, Professor; he's twisting your mind and keeping you trapped."_ Banging on the door, she fell down against it as her emotional control cracked and tried to collapse on her. Sobbing, she felt the hand of Storm on her shoulder as she looked up.

_"What is it, little one?"_ asked the curious Storm.

Sienna wiped a tear away. _"You must hurry; he's in with my brother. He's trapped in an illusion and he's going to kill all the humans. Hurry, I would use my power but I can't do that on him and I can't do it through walls this thick..."_

---

Nodding, Storm drew the girl away and turned to Nightcrawler. _"Kurt, take me in there slowly."_

The mutant nodded and teleported the two of them inside the Dark Cerebro as the others looked on. Then, Sienna looked up and heard the building crack and the shift in the foundations. Slipping her fingers together, she began to pray. _"Lord, if you are out there, save us now. Save us..." _

Then, as if her prayers were answered, the Dark Cerebro stopped and she screamed out in triumph. Grabbing the hands of the children, she dragged them out of the building as it began to shake and collapse on itself. Dodging planks of wood and pieces of stone, she pulled them through the rapidly rising water and out into the white wonderland that was Alkali Lake. They stood enraptured as the dam began to collapse on itself and the mutants began to stream out of it as the foundations shattered and exploded. Then, it caved in on itself and collapsed under the water. The immense pressure created a surge in the water and it began to rise. Pushing the others in, she yelled out to the ones lagging behind

_"Come on, hurry! We don't have time!"_

Grabbing the last two, she pulled them in as the Blackbird tried to rise. Supporting the Professor, she began to hum a tune to calm the children down as Storm and the senior X-Men tried to jumpstart the Blackbird. Out of the corner of her eye, Sienna saw Jean disappear out of the cargo hold and hung her head as Scott began to yell for her to come back. Then, Charles began to communicate Jean's wishes telepathically. Reaching a link to Jean, Sienna urged her to come back silently but met with no answer. Then, the plane began to rise in the air and took off as if Jean had willed it to go. Looking down, Sienna started to cry as the water enveloped everything including the retreating form of Jean Grey. Then, the two links exploded in her head and vanished. Putting her head in her hands, Sienna began to sob wildly as they soared away. The lack of a link meant that Jean Grey was dead.

_Dead..._


	14. Maybe There Is Hope After All

Chapter 14:

As the Blackbird soared into the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning, Sienna still had her head bowed in silent tears and sobs. Staying in that position for hours, she finally looked up to see herself alone in the plane. Moving out, she locked it and then made her way to her room to think. Her eyes were puffy and red and she was stopped by a few children but shrugged their concerns away and entered her room. Flinging herself on the bed, she buried her face in the doona cover and cried more hot tears of grief. Jean was dead, dead. How could she have died like that, how could she have thrown her life away to save them? How?

Rubbing her cheeks vigorously as she sat up, Sienna reached for a cushion and hugged it to her body tightly. Shedding some more tears, she rested against the wall and looked out the window. Sure enough, a rose was spreading near the window glass and it was in full bloom. Opening the window, Sienna plucked the flower and pressed it near her nose and inhaled the sweet sensation. Smoothing one or two mangled petals, Sienna placed it on her desk as a silent reminder of the spring morning and went to have a shower. Maybe that was what she needed to calm herself down and help her forget the last few days. Stepping into the bathroom, she stared at herself in the mirror dazedly. She had a small cut across her cheek still, a reminder of the slap from Stryker and she sighed. Rubbing it softly, she turned away and stripped before stepping into the shower cubicle.

About an hour later, Sienna had changed and was feeling all aglow. Stroking her top carefully, she slipped downstairs and out to the Japanese Garden she had sat in before the attack. Putting her feet into the water, she twirled them about as she thought of the last few days and especially Jean Grey. The woman had been so kind, so patient and so friendly. Jean had been her confidante, willing to listen and even more willing to help with her problems. Now, she was gone and nobody could ever take her place. Looking up suddenly as something hit her head, Sienna smiled as a leaf floated into her lap along with the culprit, an acorn thrown by a pesky squirrel. Fingering the leaf, she put it gently to one side and put her elbows on her knees before letting her chin rest on her hands. Musing, she began to sing in a fairly happy tone as she relaxed.

Maybe there was hope after all...


End file.
